11 July 2013 – The Philippine Embassy in Canberra reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the ASEAN Committee in Canberra (ACC) successfully held its first ASEAN Reception in Canberra at the historic Old Parliament House on June 21.
The ten ASEAN Heads of Mission (HOMs) received around 180 guests from the diplomatic corps, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and Department of Defence, as well as other government agencies, the private sector and academe.
Indonesian Ambassador Nadjib Riphat Kesoema, as current chair of the ACC, welcomed the guests to the celebration of the 46th anniversary of ASEAN. He acknowledged the presence of the Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr, as proof of Australia’s own recognition of ASEAN as the pre-eminent association in the region.
Ambassador Kesoema underscored that ASEAN values Australia’s support for ASEAN’s Community building efforts, with Australia’s White Paper on the Asian Century upholding the importance of the ASEAN region as a whole and the Southeast Asian nations as a collective bridge towards Asia.
In response, Foreign Minister Carr emphasized that his aspiration is for Australia to be a country that understands its immediate region to the North, with ASEAN at the center. He explained that as Foreign Minister, he has consciously tried to align Australian foreign policy with that of ASEAN through developing the habit of consultation with its regional partners on matters of regional and global importance. He welcomed the continuing integration of ASEAN and its strong relations with its partners centered on ASEAN centrality.
The reception featured the Strong Mask Dance from Bali, Indonesia, which represented the aggressiveness and strong will of warriors and the Fon-Uay Phone (or Traditional Welcome Dance) from Laos, which represented the generosity of the host in welcoming honoured guests and wish them good health, happiness and prosperity. END
